made 盆菜CNY dinner for RI brothers on 5.3.2021.^^

everyone loved the 盆菜 pencai…the stock was very tasty and gelatinous, and the texture were very good.

in particular, the fish maw was excellent, mushroom as well, both very tasty 入味! abalones, sea cucumber, broccoli all very good.

scallops, belly pork, prawns can be improved.

it is not difficult to make 盆菜 pencai – recipe here 🙂

I like to use teochew braised hock and trotters as the base for the broth. this delivers a gelatinous and very tasty sauce. so braise the pig hock and trotters for 1.5hrs to 1hrs 45mins. remove hock and trotters. these can be served as separate dishes or can cut some hock and add to the 盆菜 pencai.

I braise the belly pork together. remove belly pork about 1 hr 15mins. chill the pork belly so easy to cut/slice when assembling the 盆菜 pencai.

I had earlier boiled the fish maw and mushroom for 1hr. now add them to the 盆菜 pencai. broth and cook about 30mins.

then I add one can of abalones with the brine or braise (braised abalones better tastier), and add broccoli, prawns and scallops and cook for 3mins and remove.

I add sea cucumber last, cook 1 min and cover to poach for another few mins. anyway just watch over to make sure all the items are cook just right.

then assemble.

I add/layer few leaves of Chinese cabbage to the bottom of the claypot dish.

then arrange first the broccoli then the other items.

this time my assembly not as pretty as 2 yrs ago on 2019, the taste and texture just as good.

c.h.e.f andy

I did couple times teochew chilled sotong recently.

one was for family CNY day2 lunch on 13.2.2021.^^

texture was perfect!…everyone loved the chilled sotong with “kek you” 桔油dip…

cooking is straightforward. just that sotong like all other food cannot be overcooked or it will be rubbery, so need to cook just right.

I clean with salt a large sotong (300g), and cut rings w/o cutting through, so whole sotong intact for nice presentation. easiest way to do is to place a knife into the cavity and cut rings with another knife so it will not cut through. then cut the rings a bit more so near the centreline left maybe 1in uncut.

then just steam about 3mins…watch…off fire and leave another 3mins…

I did not really do timing, so watching is key..when the white is opaque and still gleaming that is about right..err a bit on the cook side as cannot eat undercooked.

left place in fridge to chill for 1 hour.

when serving use kitchen sears to cut or over a cutting board, and dip with “kek you” 桔油..

perfecto!

c.h.e.f Andy

been doing 3 egg spinach 三蛋苋菜 quite a few times lately.

like the 6pax RI bros dinner on 23.12.2020.^^

everyone loved the 3 egg spinach! ^^

3 egg spinach always good, very tasty. best thing is it’s quite easy to make.

I just minced salted egg (I use 1/2 egg plus the other 1/2 egg yolk), and chop century egg in larger pieces. and one fresh egg.

use lots of garlic.. I brown 4 cloves large garlic cut into 4 pieces each. add minced salted egg and fry till fragrant. then add 150ml chicken stock and 1tbsp oyster sauce, and reduce. crack one egg into the broth and let it form. then use chopsticks to “draw”out spread a bit.

when serving, add baby spinach stems, cook 2 mins, then add the leaves. and the dish is done. no need to add fish sauce as salty enough…

excellent dish! very tasty broth, superb flavours!

c.h.e.f andy

fried rice maybe commonplace comfort food. difficult to do good restaurant standard BUT easy to destroy it lol! 🙂

I do a good, competent fried rice with good wokhae…not the standard of the best like in imperial treasure, crystal jade etc but pretty good la…

I made fried rice as part of the 4pax home dinner on 15.3.2021.^^

I fried lots of minced garlic, then added 150g minced pork and 1 tbsp oyster sauce, cooked minced pork, then added 1 cup cooked rice and fried high heat. removed fried rice, fried 3 eggs high heat till formed, then added back fried rice, high heat, off fire, added crispy haebeehiam chilli and mixed.

taste & add fish sauce to taste if need.

garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients-

• 1.5 cups cooked rice
• 150g minced pork (can be prawns or belly pork, the latter I cook first 1 hr in water or stock, then place in cold water & cut 1cmx1cm strips)
• 4 cloves ie lots of chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce, to taste
• 2 tbsp crispy prawn chill, to taste
• 1 stalk ie lots of chopped spring onions
• coriander to garnish
• 3 eggs

Directions-

1. fry lots of minced garlic, add minced pork and 1 tbsp oyster sauce, cook minced pork
2. add 1.5 cup cooked rice and fry high heat. mix thoroughly, remove fried rice
3. fry 3 eggs high heat till formed, then add back friend rice, fry high heat, off fire, add crispy haebeehiam chilli and mix
4. garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander